The role of social support in the relationship between urinary incontinence and psychological distress in older adults.

While an association between UI and psychological distress among older adults has been established in the literature, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain less clear. Using a sample of 4,689 older adults from the Canadian Community Health Survey (1.1), we test the potential mediating and moderating effects of four dimensions of social support on the UI-distress relationship. Incontinent older adults are significantly more likely to report higher levels of distress than continent adults. Although we do not find support for a mediating effect of any of the dimensions of social support, we do report a significant interaction between one dimension of social support (tangible support) and UI. A buffering effect of tangible support is evident for continent - but not incontinent - respondents. These findings emphasize the need to assess the types of social support and the context in which they operate.